Scientists have just uncovered the biggest sponge ever discovered in the world, in the deep abysmal depths of some northwestern islands in Hawaii. This colossal creature is measured at 12 feet by several feet, which is considered to be almost the same size of a minivan.

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Apart from its remarkable size, scientists also believe that this marine creature could be very old. However, it is still pretty much a mystery how long sponges survive in the wild, as past studies say that large species in shallow marine habitats can live up to more than 2,300 years.

This particular giant sponge however, was discovered during a NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) expedition onboard the Okeanos Explorer at 7,000 feet. This submersible vehicle is also remotely operated that is used mainly on exploring deep sea habitats.

According to authors of the study, NOAA's Daniel Wagner and Christopher Kelley of the University of Hawaii in Manoa, the previous record holder of the largest sponge ever measured is about 4.3 meters in length and 1.1 meters in height, which was found in the shallow waters of the Canadian coast back in 1887.

Researchers say that during this recent expedition to the north western Hawaiian islands, they have encountered this massive sponge, where its dimensions, such as length, height and width have by far exceeded past records of the largest specimens mentioned in any kind of literature.

This current sponge is over 3.5 meters in length, about two meters in width and 1.5 meters in height, that exceeded the dimensions of the previous largest sponge known on this planet.

Scientists say that this sponge's species is no yet been determined, however, the team believes that this belongs to the Rossellidae family. Upon this amazing discovery, the NOAA team urges government and environmental agencies more protection for this region at the highest conservation measures and levels available.

Wagner says that the majority of life on the planet is located under the oceans which have also never been extensively explored. This discovery of an enormous and presumably ancient sponge only places crucial emphasis on what can be learned from exploring deeper and more pristine environments.

This new study is published in the journal Marine Biodiversity. 

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